cameron



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. CAMERON. FEED CUTTER.

No. 449,572. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

THE non (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' A. CAMERON.

FEED CUTTER.

No. 449,572. 7 Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. CAMERON.

FEED CUTTER.

No. 449,572. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

wanna cm, wwo-uma, wAsnmamN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

. ARTHUR CAMERON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C.

AUSTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

FEED-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,572, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed September 25, 1889. Serial No. 325,086. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

In carrying out my invention I provide one of the feed-rolls, which is arranged with relation to its companion roll to act with a yielding pressure upon the material passing be tween them, with a flexible and elastic wirecable journal which connects one end of the roll with the driving power, as hereinafter set forth, so that when the roll yields to different thicknesses of materials passing between the rolls said journal will not bend and yield to the lateral bodily movement of the roll without disturbing or necessitatingany change in position of the portion of the driving mechanism, but will also, by reason of its inherent elasticity, not only resume its normal position when the two rolls are as close together a they may under any circumstances bebrought, but will also by always tending to resume such position avoid all sagging and afford no hinderance to the pressure of the roll upon the material. I also hold the fly-wheel on its allotted shaft by devices hereinafter particularly set forth, so as to provide an improved friction-lock, so that in the event of the cutter being arrested by any foreign substancesuch, for example, as a stick the fly-wheel will, in place of being suddenly arrested, revolve by reason of the momentum which it has acquired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents, in front end elevation, a feed-cutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the gear that is connected with the flexible shaft, and illustrates the connection between the two. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on a plane parallel with the axes of the feedrolls and through the bearings for the journals of said rolls, which latter, together with the gearing and certain auxiliary devices are shown in elevation. This view is understood to be taken as looking toward the forward end of the machine. Fig. 5 represents the fly-wheel on a slightly larger scale, its supporting-shaft being shown in cross-section. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section of the hub K on a somewhat larger scale, and Fig. 8 is an end view of said hub.

In said drawings, A indicates the main frame, which can be provided with bearings appropriate for the several operative members of the machine, and otherwise constructed in any ordinary or suitable way.

13 denotes the lower, and C the upper, feedroll. These feed-rolls are understood to be arranged back of the cutter, as usual, and to be driven by suitable gearing, it being usual in feed-cutters of the class to which this machine appertains to gear-connect the feedrolls and drive the upper roll from the beltwheel shaft by appropriate gearing.

The feed-roll B is flexibly journaled at one end only and is spring-supported, so as to hold it up to the work and at the same time permit it to yield to any matters of unusual thickness which may happen to pass through the machine. As herein shown said roll is upheld by the vertically-arranged slide-rods D, which are supported by springs (Z, in a manner common in feed-cutters.

The roll B is provided with a flexible shaft or journal E, which connects the roll with the gear F. This flexible powertransmitting shaft consists of a section or suitable length of wire cable having sufficient flexibility to permit it to bend when the roll is depressed, and also having sufficient elasticity to restore it to its normal condition when the rollis permitted to rise. This wire-cable shaft is at one end securedin a neck or socket b on one end of the roll. As a means for connecting the wire-cable shaft with the gearF the latter is provided with an axial bow f, Fig. 2, which is formed through the hub or axle f of the gear and which is made somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the wire-cable shaft, thereby providing said gear with a hollow axle. The wire cable shaft extends through the bore f of the axle and is rigidly connected with a journal-holder consisting of a cap or plug G, which is in turn held in rigid connection with the axle f of the gear, which said axle is journaled at opposite sides of the gear by means of the boxes f To connect the plug with the gear in a simple and ready way, the bore f of the axle of said gear is squared at one end to receive the squared plug G, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which way the plug will be held against turning independently of the gear. By the foregoing arrangement the flexible wire-cablc shaft can bend without rocking or tilting the gear to which it is attached, and hence while providing a simple and economical power-transmitting shaft the necessity for a gear specially prepared to tilt independently of its companion gear is entirely avoided, it being observed that prior to my invention the gear employed in connection with jointed shafts has been beveled in a peculiar way, so as to permit it to rock or tilt independently of its companion gear, but that in all such cases cramping or binding between the two gears frequently takes place.

11 indicates the fly-wheel, and I the shaft upon which it is carried. The fly-wheel is mounted upon a hub or sleeve K and the two held together by frictionalcontact. The hub or sleeve K can be secured directly upon the shaft, or, as herein shown, the hub can be arranged upon and secured to a sleeve L by a set-screw Z or other suitable means and said sleeve can be fitted upon and secured to the shaft in any suitable wayas, for example, by a key 1-, as in Fig. 5. The bore or openin g through the central portion of the flywheel is enlarged in diameter for a portion of its length, so as to provide an internally-arranged annular shoulder 71, and the hub K is formed with an annular enlargement 7a, which serves to provide it with oppositely-arranged annular shoulders, one of which will lie contiguous to the shoulder h of the fly-wheel when the latter is properly fitted upon the 11 ub, while the remaining opposite shoulder is intended to be engaged by a cap-plate M. A washer is placed between the shoulder h of the fly-wheel and the adjacent shoulder of the hub, and in like manner a washer is placed between the cap-plate M and the next-adjacent shoulder of the hub. For purpose of description, however, the cap-plate may be regarded as engaging a shoulder on the hub, and a shoulder on the hub as engaging a shoulder in the fly-wheel. The cap-plate is held by bolts N, which engage the fly-wheel. These bolts are provided with nuts 11, so that the cap-plate can be tightened up against the shouldered portion of the hub. 'ly such arrangement the shouldered portion of the hub can be clamped between the cap-plate and shoulder of the fiy-wheel, so that during op eration the fly-wheel will under all ordinary circumstances partake of the rotary motion of the shaft. Should,however, an obstructionsuch, for example, as a stick or hard root-enter the machine and tend to arrest the action thereof, the momentum of the fly-wheel will overcome the frictional lock between itself and the hub, and hence while the shaft and hub may be brought to a standstill the flywheel will continue to turn until stopped by inertia and friction.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, with the feed-roll B in a feed-cutter, of the gear F, provided with a hollow axle journaled at opposite sides of the gear, the flexible and elastic wire-cable journal attached to the feed-roll and extended through the hollow axle of the gear, and the cap or plug fitted to one end of the hollow axle and rigidly connected with one end of the flexible and elastic wire-cable journal, for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the upper feedroll 0 in a feed-cutter, of the lower springsupported feed-roll B, a gearF, provided with a hollow axle which is journaled at opposite sides of the gear, and the flexible elastic wirecable journal E, secured at one end to the lower feed-roll and extended through the hollow axle of the gear and rigidly connected therewith beyond the point where it enters the same, for the purpose described.

3. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, with the shaft I in a feedcutter, of a fiy-wheel having a portion of its central opening enlarged, so as to provide it with an internally-arranged shoulder, a hub or sleeve K, extending through the opening in the fly-wheel and having an enlargement 7a, which is received within the enlarged portion of said opening and fitted against the shoulder within the wheel, and the cap-plate M, bolted to the wheel and fitting against said enlargement of the sleeve, which said sleeve is held rigid upon the shaft, for the purpose set forth.

ARTHUR CAMERON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, A. L. Gowns. 

